Firm Profile

Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, PC

Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, PC was founded in New York in 1969 by a group of leading international trademark lawyers who shared a commitment to provide premium client service and be the best in their field. They set out to challenge the business model of the larger, well-established firms by providing the highest level of international trademark advice at a reasonable cost. Today, Fross Zelnick is a law firm of nearly 50 attorneys, from diverse backgrounds.

According to surveys of in-house and outside counsel in our field, Fross Zelnick is considered the premier firm in the world for trademark, copyright, design patent and unfair competition law, and we are probably the largest law firm dealing exclusively with this subject matter. Our lawyers are also consistently recognised by numerous publications around the world as experts in the field.

Because we offer clients comparable strength in both US and international work (a rarity in our field), and maintain active relationships with leading practitioners around the globe, we are uniquely positioned to help owners of worldwide trademark portfolios establish, maintain, protect and make profitable use of their trademark rights. All of our attorneys are trademark experts, and each is an in-depth specialist in at least one area of trademark and unfair competition law.

Litigate Intellectual Property Rights

Fross Zelnick stands alone in the top tier of trademark and copyright litigation firms in the US. Our reputation for successful litigation often leads to settling disputes without court proceedings. When litigation is unavoidable, our litigators know how to fight for clients and win. Internationally, Fross Zelnick has wide experience in foreign and multi-country trademark and copyright litigation and a history of success in recapturing pirated well-known marks.

Register Trademarks, Copyrights and Design Patents

Fross Zelnick is consistently among the top filers of US trademark applications. We can register our clients’ trademarks, copyrights and design patents. Our specialised knowledge in this area means that we know how to get the job done efficiently and obtain rights that will stand up in court.

Combat Counterfeiting

We are highly experienced in anti-counterfeiting and enforcement matters. Fross Zelnick has developed sophisticated and cost-effective enforcement programmes for our clients to prevent the importation, sale and distribution of a wide variety of infringing or counterfeit products including apparel, footwear, cosmetics and luxury goods. Included in these programmes is the recordal of relevant intellectual property rights with customs in the US and internationally.

Manage Global Portfolios

We are known for providing expert global intellectual property management. Working closely with our select network of foreign counsel, Fross Zelnick protects intellectual property rights in the US and throughout the world. Our experience enables us to identify, protect and defend our clients’ rights under copyright, trademark, trade dress, design patent, trade secret and related laws.

Negotiate IP Transactions

Whether a client is buying or selling an entire business or part of a portfolio, Fross Zelnick can negotiate licences and related agreements that safeguard our clients’ business and legal interests. We conduct due diligence reviews for mergers, acquisitions and other corporate ventures, and record the corporate changes against our clients’ IP registrations worldwide once the deal is done.

Protect Characters and Celebrities

For decades Fross Zelnick lawyers have protected famous entertainment characters through sophisticated copyright protection strategies and enforcement against infringers. We have also retrieved numerous infringing or disparaging trademarks and domain names for celebrities, and litigated high-profile cases involving the unauthorised use of well-known names and likenesses.

Conquer the Internet

Internet law is evolving as rapidly as the medium itself and much of it is rooted in trademark and copyright law. Our lawyers litigate uniform domain name dispute resolution proceedings against cybersquatters, advise on worldwide domain name registration and disputes, monitor the web for infringements, negotiate linking and key word agreements, draft privacy policies and develop strategies for policing and protecting IP rights on the internet.

Nominees have been selected based upon comprehensive, independent survey work with both general counsel and private practice lawyers worldwide. Only specialists who have met independent international research criteria are listed.